Continued round-up of soma-related research and connections to emotion, sound, morality, mind, soul, health and contagions. Plus this edition’s featured lexicon entry: “wu-wei”.

Experiencing Sound

Why auditory pitch and spatial elevation get high togetherDr. Cesare Parise and colleagues found that “high frequency sounds were systematically perceived as coming from higher positions in space… The shape of the ear could have evolved to mirror the acoustic properties of the natural environment.”

Mind > Body // Body > Mind?

“The brain is not responsible for any of the sensations…the seat and source of sensation is the region of the heart.”– Aristotle

The ancient question is being revisited: but not so much in one camp. Research by Park et al found a connection between whether we see objects or not and “the brain’s heartbeat evoked activity”. I found this via Joel Winston’s commentary paper. He tweeted that the paper “was about the brain’s response to heartbeats and how that determines visual consciousness“ There’s a lot to be unpacked here – hopefully it will be picked up and teased out further.

Contagious

Emotion Lexicon

Wu-weiliterally translates as “no trying” or “no doing,” but it’s not at all about dull inaction. In fact, it refers to the dynamic, effortless, and unselfconscious state of mind of a person who is optimally active and effective. … This state of harmony is both complex and holistic, involving as it does the integration of the body, the emotions, and the mind…. Being in wu-wei is relaxing and enjoyable, but in a deeply rewarding way that distinguishes it from cruder or more mundane pleasures. – Edward Slingerland – Trying-not-to-Try